Mechanism for securing an add-in module in a computer device

Abstract

An apparatus and method for engaging a mounting panel of a computer device includes a bracket, as well as a lever and slider mechanism connected to the bracket. The lever and slider mechanism includes a base, a wedge slider, a lever, a geared bar, and a biasing element. The base is connected to the bracket. The wedge slider is connected to the bracket and disposed immediately below the base. Rotating the lever from a first position to a second position causes a gear to engage the geared bar, causing the geared bar to move vertically. The rotating allows movement along the contact between an angled end of the geared bar and a wedged end protrusion of the wedge slider such that the biasing element pushes the wedge slider away from the bracket and allows the wedge slider to engage an opening in a mounting panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for engaging a mounting panel of a computer device, the apparatus comprising:
 a bracket; and 
 a lever and slider mechanism connected to the bracket, the lever and slider mechanism including:
 a base connected to the bracket, 
 a wedge slider connected to the bracket and disposed immediately below the base, the wedge slider having a wedged end protrusion, 
 a lever connected to the base and coupled to a gear, the lever rotatable from a first position to a second position and from the second position to the first position, 
 a geared bar connected to the base and operably coupled to the gear, the geared bar having an angled end abutting and in substantial contact with the wedged end protrusion, and 
 a biasing element disposed between the wedge slider and an outer surface of the bracket, the biasing element applying a force on the wedge slider in a direction away from the outer surface of the bracket, 
 
 wherein rotating the lever from the first position to the second position causes the gear to engage the geared bar causing the geared bar to move vertically in a first direction, thereby allowing movement along the contact between the angled end of the geared bar and the wedged end protrusion of the wedge slider such that the biasing element pushes the wedge slider away from the bracket and allows the wedge slider to engage an opening in a mounting panel. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein rotating the lever from the second position to the first position causes the gear to engage the geared bar causing the geared bar to move vertically in a second direction opposite the first direction, thereby allowing movement along the contact between the angled end of the geared bar and the wedged end protrusion of the wedge slider such that the wedge slider provides a counter force to the biasing element that moves the wedge slider closer to the bracket and allows the wedge slider to disengage from the opening in the mounting panel. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket is an elongated bracket. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket has a plurality of openings. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a step screw connects the wedge slider to the bracket. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the biasing element is a spring. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the step screw is partially inserted through a center of the spring such that the spring surrounds a length of the step screw. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the geared bar has a protrusion and the base includes at least one slot, the protrusion from the geared bar being disposed in the slot such that the slot defines a pathway of movement for the geared bar. 
     
     
       9. An add-in module for a computer device, the add-in module comprising:
 a housing having an outer shell defining at least two open opposing sides, the housing holding a plurality of peripheral components; and 
 two input/output brackets each disposed over one of the opposing open sides, at least one of the two input/output brackets connected to a lever and slider mechanism, wherein the lever and slider mechanism includes:
 a base connected to the at least one of the two input/output brackets, 
 a wedge slider connected to the at least one of the two input/output brackets and disposed immediately below the base, the wedge slider having a wedged end protrusion, 
 a lever connected to the base and coupled to a gear, the lever rotatable from a first position to a second position and from the second position to the first position, 
 a geared bar connected to the base and operably coupled to the gear, the geared bar having an angled end abutting and in substantial contact with the wedged end protrusion, and 
 a spring disposed between the wedge slider and an outer surface of the input/output bracket, the spring biasing the wedge slider away from the outer surface of the input/output bracket, 
 
 wherein rotating the lever from the first position to the second position causes the gear to engage the geared bar causing the geared bar to move vertically in a first direction, thereby allowing movement along the contact between the angled end of the geared bar and the wedged end protrusion of the wedge slider such that the spring expands biasing the wedge slider away from the bracket and allowing the wedge slider to engage an opening in a mounting panel. 
 
     
     
       10. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein rotating the lever from the second position to the first position causes the gear to engage the geared bar causing the geared bar to move vertically in in a second direction opposite the first direction, thereby allowing movement in along the contact between the angled end of the geared bar and the wedged end protrusion of the wedge slider such that the wedge slider provides a counter force compressing the spring and moving the wedge slider closer to the bracket to allow the wedge slider to disengage from the opening in the mounting panel. 
     
     
       11. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein the two input/output brackets each have a plurality of openings. 
     
     
       12. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the two input/output brackets substantially covers one of the open sides. 
     
     
       13. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein the add-in module is a peripheral component interconnect express module. 
     
     
       14. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein the two input/input brackets are peripheral component interconnect express input/output brackets. 
     
     
       15. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein a step screw connects the wedge slider to the at least one input/output bracket. 
     
     
       16. The add-in module of  claim 15 , wherein the step screw is partially inserted through a center of the spring such that the spring surrounds a length of the step screw. 
     
     
       17. The add-in module of  claim 9 , wherein the geared bar has a protrusion and the base includes at least one slot, the protrusion from the geared bar being disposed in the slot such that the slot defines a pathway of movement for the geared bar.